Open to Hope Articles
Do you want to read stories of others who have been where you are? Are you looking for bereavement help, and advice? Look no further. We offer over 3,000 articles written by our Open to Hope authors.
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Grief and My High School Reunion
August 22, 2022
An Exciting Opportunity “Come on, it’ll be fun!” my best friend texted. Though I couldn’t hear her voice, I knew she was bursting with excitement at the prospect of us attending our 40-year high school reunion together. “Let’s go!” she encouraged. With a smile, I let her excitement catch the tinder of my reservations to a reluctant smolder. “I was actually planning a trip home around that time anyway. I am sure I could make it work.” “Woohoo!” she burst out, her eagerness pouncing on this opportunity with gusto. “I’m so excited!” “Really? I wasn’t sure,” I responded with a […]
‘It Just Is’: Accepting Grief as it Comes
August 21, 2022
Two nights ago, Olivia slept through the entire night, and the other three kids were at grandma’s. That may be the first full night of sleep we’ve had since Olivia’s birth: 400 days of sleep deprivation. Yesterday I felt superhuman. For about an hour. Then I went to put my new powers to work, and it happened. The oh-so-familiar battle. I may have been naive to think all I needed was sleep, and then I’d be “back on track”. I’d be productive and efficient and strong and sharp. I’d finish all the unfinished things. All the things my “true self” […]
‘I’m Scared My Daughter Will Die’
August 19, 2022
Fear is the Enemy I’m scared my daughter will die. I’m scared I’ll never amount to anything. I’m scared my kids will be embarrassed of me. I’m scared I’ll get sick and not be able to take care of my family. I’m scared I’ll be forgotten. I know I’m not the only one. So many of us are scared to the point of paralysis. Ironically, this paralysis is exactly what brings our list of scary scenarios into being. Fear is the real enemy, not the scenarios. I believe the greatest battle I’m fighting, and my generation and my culture is […]
Fred Guttenberg: Grief Support
August 18, 2022
Looking for support and help with your grief? Join Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heidi Horsley and their guest Fred Guttenberg to learn how he found purpose after the death of his brother and the murder of his daughter. He is the author of Find the Helpers: What 9/11 and Parkland Taught Me About Recovery, Purpose, and Hope. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Fred-Guttenberg_-Grief-Support.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Pam Dampier: Compassionate Friends Leader
August 8, 2022
Bereaved parent, Pam Dampier, talks about becoming a chapter leader at the 45th National Conference of The Compassionate Friends in Houston Texas, 2022. She shares her journey after the death of her son and how she found hope and healing in the service of others. Remember, love soars through the clouds of hope. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Pam-Dampier_-Compassionate-Friends-Leader.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Roy Davies: Board Member of The Compassionate Friends
August 8, 2022
Compassionate Friends Board Member and bereaved parent, Roy Davies, talks about finding hope through The Compassionate Friends at the 45th National Conference of The Compassionate Friends in Houston Texas, 2022. Remember, love soars through the clouds of hope. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Roy-Davies_-Board-Member-of-The-Compassionate-Friends.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Dr. Margaret Chisolm: Coping with a Death to Mental Illness
August 4, 2022
Have you lost a beloved loved one to mental illness? On this show psychiatrist Dr. Margaret Chisolm shares with Dr. Gloria and Dr. Heid how she found hope after a battle with depression and the loss of both her brother and her cousin to suicide. She is the author of From Survive to Thrive: Living Your Best Life with Mental Illness. https://media.blubrry.com/open_to_hope_1/www.opentohope.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Margaret-Chisolm_-Coping-with-a-Death-to-Mental-Illness.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Still Breathing: Mother of Stillborn Shares Her Journey
July 28, 2022
This is an excerpt from Still Breathing : My Journey with Love, Loss, and Reinvention by Katie Joy Duke. I was sitting alone in the quiet nursery reading a book on my Kindle. My eyes were swollen from crying, and my body was sore from giving birth. Eli and I had been home from the hospital for less than a week, and reality was beginning to sink in. Our baby was never coming home. Poppy was dead, stillborn at full term. Nothing would ever be the same. I looked up from my book and stared out the window of our […]
